Collapsible drinking-cup.



w. WOLF, 1R. COLLAPSIBLE DRINKING CUP. APPLICA T MN FILED 115C122, l9l5.

1 ,197,323. I PatentedSept. 5, 191 6.

MARCUS 'W. WOLF, JR, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COLLAPSIBLE DRINKING-CUP.

Specification (if-Letters Patent. Patgnted g e, 5, 1916 Applicationfiled December 22, 1915. Serial No. 68,108.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Marcus W. VVOLF, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inCollapsible Drinking-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved collapsible sanitary drinking cupand has for its object to provide an inexpensive paper or fabric cupwhich when. new may be collapsed into a flat condition; sealed againstuse, and which when opened for use will be left in a condition that willindicate that it has been tampered with, opened or used, so that aperson may know when he takes a cup for use, whether the cup is free ofall evidences of prior use.

With these objects in view, the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1, shows the out blank ready for folding into the form of a cup.Fig. 2, illustrates the cup in a collapsed and sealed condition, andFig. 3, shows the same broken openand extended ready for use.

In carrying out the invention, the particular shape of the blank and infact the general outline or shape of the completed cup when collapsed isimmaterial, but in the present instance I have adopted for illustrativepurposes a blank 4, having a point 5, and two straight edges (3 and 7extending from the point in a diverging direction whereby to produce ablank of sectoral shape. For convenience in disclosure, the blank may besaid to comprise an intermediate portion 8, and opposite side portions 9and 10 respectively, the extent of the two side'portions and theintermediate portion being determined by the broken lines 11 and 12,respectively, which lines represent fold lines along which the sideportions are to be turned back against the intermediateportion. In thepresent instance the intermediate portion 8, of the blank has a tab 13,at its.

outer edge 15 which tab is .produced by two spaced-apart incisionsll,that are made in the blank and which extend inwardly from said outeredge, and from the slits or incisions 14, the said edge 15, of theintermediate portion is curved so as to preferably form the tab at thehighest point of the said curved edge.

. The side portion 9, of the blank has the straight edge 6, which in thepresent illustration will be deemed the under-lapping edge when the twoside portions are folded over toward each other and laid against theintermediate portions 8. The outer edge 16, of the side portion 9, isalso curved and has a drop or cut-away portion at 17, adjacent to thestraight edge 6.

The side portion 10, of the blank is provided with the straight edge 7,which latter edge will be the overlapping edge when the two sideportions are/folded toward each other. This side portion also has acurved outer edge 18, with a cut-away or drop 19, as the curveapproaches the straight edge 7. Between the straight edge 7, and the cutaway, or drop 19, the side portion 10 has at its outer edge a tab 20,which projects oatwardly.

One surface of the cup blank along the straight edge 7, and the samesurface of tab 20, are shown as having a coating of adhesive material21, and in the present illustration, the inner surface of tab 13, whichis integral with the intermediate portion 8,

is also shown as having a coating of ad hesive material.

After the blank has been formed as seen in Fig. 1, the side portion 9,is folded on the line 11, and laid back against the interme diateportion 8L The other side portion 10, is'then folded on the line 12, andlaid against the intermediate portion, with its adhesivecoated edge 7overlapping the edge 6. This folding of the two side portions will bringthe tab 20, of one side portion into register with the tab 13, on theintermediate portion so that the two edges 6 and 7 andthe twooverlapping tabs 20, and 13 may be secured together by the adhesive.material. The point end 5, may then be folded up on the outside of andsecured to the outer sideof the side portion 10, as shown in Fig. 2.When the cup is in collapsed condition the two overlapped tabs 13 and 20are at the center of the broad top end. By securing the tabs 13 and 20,together the'open end of the cup will be secured in a flat coliapsedcondition and the cup cannot be used while the tabs are so secured. Whenit is desired to use the cup,a person may readily grasp the twosecured-together tabs 13 and 20 and tear them off thereby removing themeans that holds the two walls of the cup together when the Walls are ina flat position, whereupon the cup may be opened for use. By thusremoving the two tabs a notch 22, will be left in each of the cup walls,as shown in Fig. 3, thus indicating that the cup has been tampered withor used. It will also be seen that by providing the two cut-away or dropportions '17 and 1.9 in the edge of one Wall only of the cup and atoppositesides of the secured-together tabs, the upper edge of said wallwill be somewhat lower than the opposite wall of the cup, so that thetwo walls when flat may be readily separated by the fin gels, in casethe material of which the cup isformcd is too flexible to cause thewalls to bulge when pressure is applied to the opposite folded edges 26shown in Fig. 2. By sectlring the mouth-end of the cup walls together atthe time the cup is new-and clean,

cup,

memes the interior will soiled.

Having described my invention what E claim is,-

A paper drinking cup having its bottom end permanently closed, and upperend having twe tabs which are torn'ied troin the same paper blank thatalso forms wall of the cap, said tabs projecting forw when said upperend is closed--eaeh tab being attached at an oppositeside wail of the sothat when the cap is collapsed a flat condition said two tabs willoverlap each other and adhere together and form a fastening to keep thetwo side walls at said. top end fastened only at the center, leavingsaid top ends of the wall unfastened at opposite sides of the adheringtabs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MARCUS W. wean in he less lie-hie tn become Witnesses CHAnLns B. MANN,Jzz, BERTHA K. WALTER.

